Harry Potter And the Key To Evanidus
by emss
Summary: Harry could hold the key to the rise and fall of a dark lord and with a mysterious but dangerous new DADA teacher, and traitors at every corner no one can be trusted. New adventures, new friends, and new foes await in Harry's sixth year. Beware…no one h
1. Dampered Dreams

Note;. I want to thank my beta reader, Rina  
  
Chapter 1; Dampened Dreams  
  
It was a colder then usual for this time in mid July, on the  
roads Privet drive. The rain fell a bit harder, the sun shined a lot less, and the nights were just a bit darker. Or it was at least, to one, Harry Potter. who now in the middle of the night, was pretending to sleep.  
  
Harry looked over to his clock, it was just 12 AM. 5 minutes from the last time he had checked it. He had no idea why he continued to check it. An hour from now it would still be the same, he'd still be all alone, and it'd still be dark. It was always dark.  
  
Harry still could not explain it, but for some reason he kept half  
expecting Sirius to walk through the door. Acting as though nothing had happened and he hated it. He hated how empty he felt. He hated his stupid scar. He hated how no one, anyone, anywhere, could ever know how he felt and he hated  
how munch he'd love for someone to understand  
  
"Maybe it would just be easier to end it here," he thought to himself. He could grab the knife, slit his throat, and just end it.  
  
But did it matter? If death was nothing then what did it matter?  
  
Harry grabbed the knife, he looked at it's sharp blade, gripping it   
tightly, he looked to the window, as a white snowy owl came swerving through the window.  
  
"Snap out of it!!" The voice shouted.  
  
Harry threw the knife to the wall savagely. The snowy owl made a loud hooting sound and Hedwig just gave a blank look. She was used to the bangs  
and loud noises her owner made.  
  
Harry grabbed the letter from the snow owl as it flew away  
quickly as though fearing for its life. Harry sat on the bed and read the formal looking letter...  
  
Dear Mr. Potter,  
  
The following are the results from last months Ordinary Wizarding Level   
examinations  
  
Charms- Exceeds Expectations.  
Defense Against the Dark Arts- Outstanding.  
History of Magic- Poor.  
Astronomy- Dreadful.  
Herbology- Exceeds Expectations.  
Transfiguration- Exceeds Expectations.  
Care of Magical Creatures- Outstanding.  
Divination- Poor.  
Potions- Outstanding.  
  
The Hogwarts express will arrive at 11 AM September first.  
  
Have a nice holiday!!!  
Deputy-Headmistress  
Professor McGonagall  
  
Harry's mouth hung open as he read his final grade...an 'O' in potions?  
  
"Oh why does God hate me?" He thought to himself.  
  
Another year with that git Snape? The Snape who had murdered Sirius? That Snape?  
  
To be frank, Harry would rather have dragons eat him alive than hear Snape speak.  
  
But who knows, Snape hated him too. Maybe he won't let Harry into his class, then again Dumbledore there was all always Dumbledore...  
  
Dumbledore. As far as Harry was concerned Dumbledore failed him.  
  
If Dumbledore could have just told him about the prophesy none of this would have happened! But no! Harry had to be "protected"!  
  
Harry had thought this would be a slightly more enjoyable summer. But instead of new freedoms, he lost the freedom to do anything. Even worse, the only letters he'd got were from Moody. Telling him "Not to leave the house" or even more paranoid and stupid instructions like "Don't look out the window".  
  
What was that about? He was looking out the window now, and nothing was happening!  
  
Harry sat in the dark for several more hours. Which in fact felt like  
days. Until seven o'clock, when the smell of bacon and eggs filled the air. Harry stumbled lazily down the stairs, to the kitchen.  
  
The Dursleys had been keen to ignore Harry in every way shape and form. Usually they would not even look at him. Moody's threat made just a mouth ago still rang in their heads loud and clear.  
  
Harry sat down at the table. The only good thing about the summer holidays was that the Dursleys feared him.  
  
Dudley grabbed 5 slices of bacon and 12 eggs. He was now the size of three Killer whales. Harry was happy to hear that Dudley had been expelled from his school after he nearly killed some kid named Mark Evens.  
  
"Petunia, you really should clean the house," Vernon said clearing his throat.  
  
"Why?" His wife asked.  
  
"Mr. Walker and Mr. Patterson from St. Peters will be stopping by for  
dinner."  
  
St. Peters was one of the best and most exclusive private schools in the country. Mr. Walker and Mr. Patterson were teachers. One was a Head of year, the other a Form tutor. For some reason Vernon thought it would make a better impression if they treated the two men to dinner. Rather than have them interview Dudley.  
  
Apparently he had forgotten he was so rich he could buy Dudley into St. Peters.  
  
"Now Dudley," Vernon statred, "you need to stand straight and sound proper.  
  
"We'll go over what you're meant to say after breakfast!"  
  
"You really think they're going to let him in?" Harry snorted.  
  
"This is none of your business!!" shouted Petunia. "You should be up in your room anyway."  
  
"Well I don't even want to be at your stupid dinner!" Harry said   
coldly.  
  
"Good." The Dursleys said in unison.  
  
Harry ate the rest of his eggs.  
  
He was only on the first step when he looked out the window. Some man was outside, leaning on what looked like a very expensive black car. Perhaps it was a Mercedes, with leather interior.  
  
The man was a towering gentleman, as wide as a bear. He had very tattered black hair and a goatee, but none of this grabbed Harry's attention. The man was wearing a cloak. A cloak!! Was he a wizard?  
  
He looked directly at Harry. His eyes were like black holes, beady and piercing. It seemed like they had the power to look down to the depths of someone's soul. They were a lot like Snape's eyes. The man gave Harry a smug smile, climbed back into his car and drove off.  
  
Harry could just picture Moody growling "I told you so".


	2. Mr Patterson, and Mr Walker

Thanks to my beta reader Rina...  
  
Chapter Two; Mr. Patterson And Mr. Walker  
  
Harry looked over the textbooks in his room; he scanned his Defense Against the Dark Arts book maybe three times and read his Transfiguration book from cover to cover twice. He wrote letters to both Hermione and Ron, telling them simply that he was "OK". He did not wish to tell them anything else; it would just make them worry about stuff that had absolutely nothing to do with them.  
  
Harry's attention was drawn to the window. A black car pulled into the Dursleys' driveway, and two men climbed out of the front seats. The first man was a dashing young gentleman, with blond hair and sparkling blue eyes; he wore a nice, gray overcoat with a black tie. The second man was a towering fellow as wide as a bear, and had a small goatee. It was the same man Harry had seen that morning, leaning on that very same black Mercedes, only now he wore a black suit and tie, and his hair was nicely combed.  
  
The two men exchanged looks and rang the doorbell. Harry grabbed his wand and jammed it in his pocket, concealing it with his hand that gripped it tightly.  
  
The doorbell had rung several times, before Harry was able to get down the flight of stairs. He opened the door and stared at the two men for several minutes.  
  
"Can I help you?" Harry asked the men  
  
"Yes, you can," the blond man said thoughtfully, giving a charming smile. "I'm Daniel Walker, this is Jonathan Patterson-"  
  
"This is a very nice house here," interrupted Patterson, stepping through the doorway and pushing Harry to the side like a rag doll. Walker gave a small sigh.  
  
Uncle Vernon, who had just come down the stairs, entered the room. His mouth hanged slightly open to see two strangers in his house.  
  
"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice shaky and lips trembling.  
  
"Could you lose some weight?" snorted Patterson.  
  
"Forgive my partner..." Walker laughed, clearing his throat. "He sold his soul to the devil last week and hasn't been the same since. I'm Daniel Walker, this is Jonathan Patterson, we are here-"  
"Oh yes, my dear wife has cooked up something marvelous!"  
  
"Great, I love dinner!" Patterson shouted with a very enthusiastic grin. "I also love the nice five hundred Galleons you left in my mailbox...surely it wasn't a bribe was it-"  
  
Vernon opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Petunia and Dudley came down the stairs.  
  
Petunia gave a wide, welcoming smile, and shook Walker's and Patterson's hands.  
  
"Welcome to our home!" She smiled. She shot a dangerous look at Harry, as if sickened just looking at him. "You'll have to forgive my nephew, he has to go do some homework..."  
  
Patterson cocked an eyebrow as Harry made his way to his bedroom.  
  
Harry spent several minutes pacing back and forth...Were the two men Deatheaters? If so, what were they waiting for? Why didn't they just start killing everyone? They weren't from the Order, Harry would have heard something...  
  
Should he tell the Order?  
Oh yeah like that was going to work! Harry was grown up; he could take care of himself. He could protect himself! Telling Dumbledore, or anyone for that matter, would just make him look weak, and he wasn't weak, or at least that's what he kept telling himself....  
  
Harry froze, he heard footsteps...  
  
"You know, Dan, it looks a little suspicious for both of us to go use the rest room at once..." Harry heard Patterson growl. He pressed his ear to the door so he could hear better. "Now we look married."  
  
"As if I'd marry you'!" smirked Walker.  
  
"And IT ISN'T FUNNY! As I was saying... I wish we could just get this over with and get the bloody hell out of this mess. I swear that if that woman offers to hang my coat up one more time, I'm going to hang her up instead. Then I'm going to put Mr. Knock-Knock Joke-"  
  
"These things take time, Jon..."  
  
"No, they don't; its just that Reckter has such a bloody ego problem!"  
  
Walker sighed deeply.  
  
"Dan... don't defend him, please..." Patterson shouted sternly  
  
"If you're so against this, then why are you here working for Reckter in the first place?"  
  
"Evanidus..." mumbled Patterson.  
  
"Oh really, is that it?" Walker asked  
  
"YES!"  
  
"Really? Because I think the only reason why you stay is because you fear him..."  
  
"Are you mentally ill?" Patterson said defensively  
  
"Maybe...you know as well as I do that when Reckter steals that thing in Potter's head, that key, he opens the room in the Department of Mysteries, he'll be as powerful as You Know Who-"  
  
Nut Patterson cut Walker off, "Hold-Hold on"  
  
Harry heard a pair of footsteps approaching....He grabbed his wand  
  
The knob turned...  
  
Harry's wand flew out of his hand as Patterson stepped through the door...  
  
Harry clutched his chest; it felt like a dozen arrows had just pierced his heart. He fell to the floor with a thump.  
  
"Eavesdropping, were we?" Patterson said flashing a very evil grin, pointing his wand directly at Harry's heart.  
  
Harry cursed in a groan. A groan was all his mouth could manage through the pain. Harry sat up, but Patterson kicked him, forcing back to the floor.  
  
"Another move, even a gesture, I blow your-"  
  
"Jon, I thought the plan was to wait!" Harry heard Walker shout from down the hall, making his way quickly to the bedroom.  
  
"Well if you weren't yelling so loud we'd wait. Unlike Reckter, I have better things to do then to fight off Dumbledore's followers - I'm a ministry official - we have to go..."  
  
"So what, we're just going to walk out-"  
  
"Who are you?" spat demanded  
  
"Watch that tone with me, boy."  
  
Patterson seized Harry by the shoulders and forced him to his feet.  
  
"Come on, Potter." He chuckled slightly, squeezing Harry's shoulders painfully; Harry felt too weak to struggle.  
  
Patterson forced Harry down the stairs. The Dursleys were nowhere to be seen. Harry thought about screaming, but he wouldn't dare give Patterson the pleasure.  
  
Patterson threw Harry into the passenger's seat as he stepped into the driver's seat.  
  
Walker stood in front of the car, looking up at the sky.  
  
"Daniel, get in!" Patterson ordered Walker sternly.  
  
Walker climbed into the backseat, he was barely in the car when Patterson slammed on the brakes. The car was in the air.  
  
The shadows of several people on broomsticks appeared on the rear view mirror. Patterson swerved the car around; he whispered something under his breath as the figures fell off of their broom and down to the ground. Harry could make out one scream - it was Tonks. The people on the brooms were from the Order  
  
Without word, without thought, without consideration that he was only 16, with no wand and in a car with two fully grown men with wands, one who had just somehow tossed several people off broomsticks with only word of mouth, Harry dove at Patterson.  
  
The two wrestled for the steering wheel as the car swerved about. Patterson grunted something under his breath again, keeping direct contact with Harry's eyes. Harry was launched back to his seat, and held there as though invisible ropes bound him. He struggled for several moments...  
  
"Stop struggling and I'll release you, you idiot!" Patterson shouted with a bit of amusement.  
  
Suddenly Harry felt like he had not slept in days, he felt dizzy until finally he stopped struggling, and the pain simply went away.  
"Now that's better, isn't Mr. Potter?" Patterson said "You see Mr. Potter, sometimes you can't be the hero, sometimes we need to accept -"  
  
"Speak for yourself!" Walker snorted under his breath.  
  
"Daniel, you're a pansy! Anyway...Just relax Mr. Potter, enjoy the ride, we need to have a little chat, you and I..."


	3. Fright, Flight, and Fight

Chapter 3; Flight. Fright, and Fight  
  
Harry grumbled. He sneered at Patterson with every ounce of hate in  
him.

Patterson was nothing more then a murdering lunatic. Nothing more.  
Suddenly, a loud ring filled the air. With a sigh, Patterson took out a small black cell phone and spoke into the receiver.

"This is, Patterson!" he said earnestly, in a very formal, business like voice. "Ah Mr. Reckter...I'm in my car!"

"I KNOW YOU'RE IN YOUR CAR!" Harry heard the cold d voice from the phone shout; Walker had literally jumped out of his seat.

"Well, no, we couldn't have waited," Patterson continued, "Permission to speak my mind, but I think you have a problem with your brain being missing....sir!!"  
Patterson chuckled, and placed the phone back in his jacket. "How rude!" He smirked, "He hung up on me!"

"Are you working for Voldemort?" Harry cocked an eyebrow.

Patterson landed the car, took out his wand and pointed it at Harry's head. Harry could almost see a severed look of panic in his eyes, but it vanished quickly when he began to speak.

"Do not speak his name!" Patterson twitched. It was the first time Harry saw Patterson lose his cool.

"You're not afraid are you?" Harry smiled daringly. He felt a savage feeling of enjoyment in the pit of his stomach.

"No I'm not afraid!" he shouted defensively. He took several deep breaths, as though he had just realized his tone, and continued in calm, and crisp voice, "Oh yeah....just so you don't know where we are taking you ugh....close your eyes!"

"No!"

"You can't say I didn't warn you."

A jolt of hot red light zoomed through Harry's face; it was dark...he was blind!

"WHAT THE-"

"No... No..." He heard Patterson's voice chuckle. "It's not permanent...oh wait maybe it is Daniel-Oh Dan... you're asleep aren't you? Well...that sucks-"

"I'm not asleep!" Walker groaned.

"Oh go kiss a tree!" Patterson snorted

"Why would I kiss a tree? Don't tell me you're running out of insults, Jon!"

Harry spent most of the time trying to kick the car door open, but it was locked. After what seemed like hours, Patterson landed the car on the ground. Harry heard Patterson walked out of the car, and whisper something to Walker. This was his chance to escape!  
Quietly and slowly, Harry stepped out of the car and took several paces forward.  
He felt a hand close around his upper arm and hold him back. It was Patterson.

"We're in the forest, Potter," he whispered. "You ought to be more careful. Now, come along, lad! Daniel, lead the way!"

Patterson dragged Harry off through many trees and bushes.

After walking at least five miles, Harry's eyesight began to return. The thick branches made it almost impossible to see anything, but Walker, who led the way, seemed very determined in his stride.

Walker made a swift turn off the path; he was walking toward a tree.

"It's a tree!" Harry mumbled under his breath

Ignoring Harry, Walker took out his wand and tapped the tree 3 times; a strange inscription appeared on the tree's trunk.

"g—pË°ï¾â¢ˆ"Iâ¢ñ›w; Translate and you shall hear. Revenge is sweet, ï¾etis shell be mine"

"Vendicare il padre!" Walker shouted. The tree trunk opened like a elevator shaft. Inside was a large spiral staircase that led deep down, into pitch-black nothingness.

"It's an underground bunker..." Patterson nodded, urging Harry forward. "Go..."  
Harry stepped into the bunker, looking back at Walker and Patterson, who both slammed the "door" behind him.

"HELLO?" he called...no answer. And with extreme fear, he slowly set forth down the stone cold staircase.

The bunker was dark, everything was gray or black, and everything was made of stone.  
Harry's breaths were all that could be made out, through the eerie silence.  
Cockroaches and cobwebs hanged from the walls, and bats swooped down from the ceiling. In spite of this though his only real fear running through Harry's head was tripping through one of the large spaces between each stair; the staircase didn't even have a railing. The whole feeling made Harry almost miss being in the company of Jonathan Patterson.

Harry had just realized his scar was giving off a terrible burning sensation, so terrible, Harry felt like he'd drop dead.

After what seemed like days, he reached the bottom of the steps. There was only one door ahead...only one place to go. The door opened on its own, and Harry stepped through it.

He looked up; a blue spotlight shined over him, suddenly people appeared from every corner...people he did not recognize...

They surrounded him like a bunch of hungry dogs circling a lone wolf...several smiles from the people sent shivers down Harry's spine...

A man stepped forward into the spotlight. The man's skin was waxy white had short white hair, which contrasted terribly with his black, lifeless eyes.

"Very good..." the man said. He spoke in a drawling, but booming voice. The sound was so cold, the man would have made Voldemort proud. "Yes....Jon and Daniel did it...despite their methods...and motives."

"And just who are you?" shouted Harry bravely, determined not to show this man any sign of weakness. But inside, his heart was beating in pure and utter fear.

"I smell your fear, Potter..."

"Really...Now that we're on a completely different subject... what does fear smell like...chicken? Ground beef? Butt?"

"Do not tempt old wizards, for they are impatient and quick to anger. I've been in hiding a long time, Potter...you probably have an idea how that feels!"

"I have an idea." Harry frowned; remembering Sirius, but only for a minute. Now was not the time to feed the stranger any thing about him. "And who are you?" he asked again.

"I am the sun, the leader, the follower, the messed up drunk, the avenger, the enemy, the friend, the man in the middle, the reformer, the murderer....I am whoever you say I am, Mr. Potter...but...they call me Barrack Reckter...you have something I want, Potter...the key to Evanidus...."

"What?"

"You know the locked door. In the department of Mysteries? The one that holds the power of nature...do you know who created that? I did..."

"You are...mad you know that? No one can just create-"

"Mad am I?" Reckter chuckled.

Reckter raised his palm. Suddenly, Harry was hovering high above the floor.

"Tom Riddle wants me to get a weapon," Reckter continued, "in exchange for a reward I could not refuse...You hold the key to the weapon, Mr. Potter...I am of course the only one who can operate it...I made it..."

Harry hit the ground with a thump and he yelped in pain.

"You know..." Harry said, clutching his injured leg painfully, "I've been hearing non-stop about that dammed key all day-"

BANG

An explosion of green flame ignited three inches from where Harry stood.  
Harry dashed forward, out of the reach of erupting flame; until someone stepped in front of him, and seized him by the coller - was Reckter

"SPLIT UP!" Reckter ordered loudly, over the screams of terror coming from his followers, "LEAVE THE WOUNDED OR DEAD BEHIND!"  
BANG, BANG

The ceiling began to crack, and fall down on some of the men. Reckter dragged Harry to the outskirts of the room and shouted once more, "ANY INJURED OR DEAD MAN YOU FIND, DO NOT TOUCH!"

People were screaming, pushing each other like drunken madmen, out of the room and up the stairs. A few of the men who were not dead, burned, or crushed under the bunker's wreckage, however, stayed and Reckter stayed as well. All of them had their wands pointed to the sky, waiting for someone to come hovering down upon them.

Dozens of masked men on broomsticks, dressed in black hoods and black cloaks came dashing down from the clouds, all of whom with wands in hand, gazing down upon Harry

The men in the sky landed on the ground gracefully.

All around them more masked men appeared, wands at ready.

"Stupify!" shouted three of the masked men, their wands were pointed directly at

Reckter's chest.

"ARELO-TUPIN!!" he shouted. The curse threw the men to the wall, blood exploded out of their chest; they were squealing sickly.

"Barrack!" shouted the voice of a masked man who stood behind Reckter - the voice of an old man. Harry recognized the voice. He had no idea how, though.   
Reckter knew the voice. He seemed so frightened by it he let go of Harry and swerved around where the old man stood.

With a grunt, Harry cut clear across the room, and threw himself on the floor.

Harry glanced at Reckter. He was fighting the old man with great difficulty. A large gash of blood was cut across his face, and the old man seemed to be moving with a limp.  
Harry got back to his feet and ran toward the exit. One of Reckter's goons spotted him.

"Imperio!" the man shouted

It was one of the Unforgivable Curses, a curse that would try and control your mind. Harry fought it, gritting his teeth in a great turmoil. Harry could hear a small voice in his head,

"Give up, lay down-"

"NO!"

"Stupefy!" shouted nearly five men in unison.

And with a snap, the man who had cast the Unforgivable Curse on Harry fell to the ground, and Harry felt as if the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

Without hesitation, Harry ran out the exit, and up the winding stairs.

"HARRY!" a man called from behind, Harry looked over his shoulder. It was one of the masked men.

"HARRY!" he shouted again.

The masked man, almost tripping over the stairs, jetted forward to where Harry stood. He took off his hood...it was Lupin.

"Professor?" Harry said, astounded, unsure whether or not he was hallucinating.

"Come on, lets go. Here." Lupin took a rock from his pocket and outstretched his hand, offering it to Harry. "Take the portkey now, Harry."  
Harry narrowed his eyebrows suspiciously.

"I'm Lupin, I swear on my life...you'll be safe once you take the portkey."  
Harry hesitantly took the portkey in his hand. The room began to spin until he was on the ground ...in a bedroom.

The cold was gone and the screams were gone... and Harry finally felt safe


	4. Key to Evanidus

Chapter 4; Key To Evanidus  
  
Harry's eyes set upon Lupin. Lupin had seemed older somehow; it was not just because his hair was completely gray, it wasn't even the fact that his face was covered in wrinkles, it was just his stare. It was the stare of a man who had seen too much in his time, a gaze that gave the look of a man lonely, sad and tired.  
  
Harry eyes moved around the room. He was sitting on a bed covered in blankets that were impossible to see, because the only source of light came from dozens of flaming candles that sat on a nightstand.  
  
"What-what was that?" Harry asked breathlessly  
  
"Long story," he replied. "It's OK, you're safe. You're in Grimmauld Place."  
  
"What was with the hoods?"  
  
"We couldn't risk getting identified; the Order is a secret, of course. Come on we'll have some tea, Molly has made some cookies-"  
  
"What's Evanidus?" Harry interrupted coldly.  
  
"It's been a very difficult couple of days, Harry..."  
  
"No sir, really?" Harry asked mockingly.  
  
"Let's go to the kitchen-"  
  
"No!" Harry said, his voice rising and turning stronger.  
  
Harry thought he'd be happy to see Lupin, but suddenly he felt a sudden burst of anger explode in the pit of his stomach. Lupin was intentionally changing the subject, Harry could tell Lupin had no wish to tell him anything about Evanidus, and nothing could anger Harry more.  
  
"What is Evanidus?" Harry questioned him again, even louder than before.  
  
"Dumbledore thought he should be the one to tell you...I agree."  
  
Harry sneered. Dumbledore had kept the Prophesy about Voldemort and Harry for 15 years, the only reason Dumbledore told him the year prior, was because Sirius had died. What were the chances Dumbledore would tell Harry anything about Evanidus? Harry wouldn't have to wait for someone else to die, would he?  
  
"Remember Sirius, sir?" Harry said, grinding his teeth, keeping both his eyes on the nightstand.  
  
Lupin bit his lip and turned slightly pale. He almost looked angry, but he cut off the rage rather quickly.   
  
"Barrack Reckter graduated from Durmstrang Institute, in 1949." Lupin sighed. "He was a gifted young man, an expert at the Dark Arts, he was almost as good as Dumbledore. After graduation he registered for a job in the Ministry, an Unspeakable, working in the department of Mysteries. He grew obsessed with all the dark items found down there. He invented his own curses, a number of other dark items, and other things known to few. One day he started to construct a weapon, judging by the stories, the weapon drove him mad, if he wasn't mad already. Anyway, it took him nearly 30 years, but finally he had constructed it-"  
  
"What kind of weapon?"  
  
"Nobody really knows...he called it Evanidus. He started recruiting young men and women from Ministry to help him 'conquer the world'. I guess his motivations were the same as Voldemort; he called his followers the Rangers, and taught them the Dark Arts. He made them almost as powerful as himself. One of the Rangers was a spy, a Death Eater. I believe his name was Jack Hunter. Anyway, Hunter ran to Voldemort and told him all about Evanidus. Reckter found out about it and searched for a good place to hide his weapon... until he found one, he hid the weapon in that room and locked it forever... And then his followers fled."  
  
"But wait..." Harry interrupted, "Reckter called it 'the room to Evanidus' not the 'room of Evanidus'."  
  
"Yes...yes, I am getting to that! No one knows exactly what the weapon was, or even what it looked like, but somehow, it expanded, it had the power of the veil...only it was a room. So now the room is the weapon, a force. Do you remember that prophesy and Professor Trelawney that one night in the Hog's Head?"  
  
"Kind of hard to forget, sir." Harry grumbled.  
  
"Yes, of course," Lupin said. "There was another prophesy made that night. It predicted you would have the key to open the room to Evanidus. It said all Reckter would have to do is get the key from your mind and use it to open the room-"  
  
"After this he becomes as powerful as Voldemort?"  
  
Lupin nodded solemnly.  
  
"But I am the only one who can-"  
  
"Yes but if you let me explain, you'll notice the problem. The second prophesy got its way toward Reckter, but because Voldemort had risen he was too cowardly to attack you. After Voldemort's fall he started to get more followers in the Ministry, such as Jonathan Patterson and Daniel Walker; the other stayed hidden. Last June, they were found by Voldemort. In exchange for their lives, Reckter promised to work for Voldemort, and get the key from your mind..."  
  
"Why can't Voldemort, or anyone else go inside my head and get it themselves?"  
  
"Reckter is the only one who knows where in the mind he can find the key, he is also the only one who can operate the weapon. Once he gets this weapon, he is as powerful as Voldemort. Now there is one more thing. This weapon can bring on something far worse then death. After all we've been through, I don't know what that could possibly be anymore, but I only know what I have been told."  
  
Harry stood in silence, ready to swallow his tongue in shock.  
  
"Well Reckter isn't to get to you!" Lupin smiled. But It seemed he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince Harry. "I have to go to the Order meeting. Ron and Hermione are down the hall to the left. Dinner will be in about an hour so...don't spoil it."  
  
Harry nodded solemnly; it was all he could bear.  
  
"It's good to have you back, Harry."  
  
And turning on his heel, Lupin paced quickly down the hall, and out of sight.


	5. Staring at My Shoes

Chapter Five; Staring at Their Shoes 

Harry stepped out of the door and down the hall.

The house felt cold, almost dead. Dead in some type of cosmic circumstance Harry could not explain. But it was a feeling he had been all too familiar with. It was the feeling of emptiness, the feeling of guilt, the feeling of loss.

His thoughts were broken by loud voices coming from another room.

"What do you think the prophecy was? "Harry heard a female voice ask. It was Ginny.

"How should I know?" Ron shouted testy. **ïƒŸ Testy... not such a good word here. Maybe 'crossly' or 'impatiently'? **

"I'm going to ask him," she mumbled.

"No you won't!"

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"I'm your brother! And I'm his best friend!"

"If we ask him, we can help him," Hermione cut in. "I mean, he's been through a lot.

"He's my friend!" he shouted.

"Well he's my friend, too!" Hermione's voice turned deep and Harry heard(?) moaning; she was obviously holding back tears.

"WELL YOU DON'T HAVE TO CRY!"

"Why are you always so insensitive, Ron?"

"I'M NOT BEING INSENSITIVE!"

"Yes you are!" Ginny and Hermione said in unison.

"AM NOT!"

"Are too!" Ginny repeated.

"AM NOT!"

"ARE TOO!"

"Would you guys be quiet?" Hermione interrupted. "Friends help friends...we can't help Harry unless we know what's wrong...do you see the logic in this?"

"I-I-" Ron stuttered. He obviously knew Hermione was right, but had no interest in admitting it. "Well-YOU DON'T HAVE TOYELL!"

"Ron..." Hermione sighed. "I'm not the one yelling."

"ARE TOO!"

"Oh, not this again!"

What were they fighting for? It wasn't their problem! Harry was sixteen. He could take care of himself. With a grunt, Harry opened the bedroom door.

"HARRY!"

Within seconds, Hermione had her arms around Harry. She gave a long sigh of relief, as tears fell down her face.

CRACK, CRACK

"Oh how difficult is it T0 WALK TWO FEET?" Ron shouted. Fred and George had just Apparated into the room, carrying Harry's trunk and owl.

"Well," Fred smirked, "for your information, it was three feet! Aw, is **idle** Ronny is trying to impress her-I mean, his girlfriend?" **Idle lazy... ickle?**

"Who, Hermione?" he said. "That's just disgusting!"

"Aw Ron is afraid of girls?" George smiled.

"What the hell do you want, anyway?"

"Whoa." Fred snorted. "Deep breathes little bro, we're not here to talk to you! But Ginny, I did notice that a few things were taken from our room!"

"We just wanted to hear what Lupin had to say to Harry," Ginny said. She passed the ears to the twins, and gave a wide, innocent grin.

"So what NEWT classes are you going to take now?" Ron asked quickly. He wanted to change the subject, and for that, Harry was quite grateful.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and-"Harry paused, "-and potions."

"Everything you have but Potions...I love being stupid!" Ron laughed. "Obviously Hermione got an O in everything!"

Someone downstairs called up to them, informing them that it was time for dinner.

The five exited the room and walked down several flights of stairs. The table was already set and, to Harry's surprise, the only two people sitting at the table were Mrs. Weasley and Lupin.

"Oh, Harry!" Mrs. Weasley smiled gently, throwing her arms around him.

"Where's Dad?" Fred asked as everyone sat down.

Mrs. Weasley muttered something under her breath.

"What?"

"He didn't return from the battle... against Reckter. Neither did Moody, Bill or Kingsley." Mrs. Weasley gave a sound that was something like a whimper or a squawk.

Footsteps silenced Mrs. Weasley's whimpering and Mr. Weasley walked, with a limp, into the kitchen. He had a large black and blue bruise on his cheek and his torso was wrapped in cloth (?). Molly stood up to greet him and he fell in her arms. With a long sigh, she helped him to sit down.

"Oh, dear" she said. "Oh, dear! We need to get you to St. Margo's-"

"No- No I am just fine..." he interrupted, breathlessly. "Can't go to Margo's anyway-We'd have to explain what happened. Molly, if the Ministry gets a hint, even a hunch, of our existence, Patterson will put every last one of us on trial for treason!"

"What power does Patterson have to do that?" Harry frowned.

"He's Special Assistant to Susan Bones for the Department of Law Enforcement. I am sure he could figure something out!"

"Apparently, a few Muggles saw the flying black Mercedes leaving Harry's house," Mr. Weasley explained. "We're going to have to think up an alibi and quickly... Bones wants an inquiry with you tomorrow...it will just be in front of her, no one else."

"Alibi?" Fred exclaimed. "Alibi? Dad, what are we going to do? Simply say the muggles had mistaken a drunken, frozen monkey for a car?"

"Frankly, that's the best idea we've had so far."

Fred rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," Lupin mumbled. He seemed very intent on keeping his eyes set upon his shoes. "If you'll excuse me, Molly, I'm not very hungry."

"But you've barely touched your meal!" said Mrs. Weasley, shooting Lupin a concerned look.

"Not hungry," he mumbled slowly. He made his way out of the kitchen, and he was gone.

Harry took a deep breath. He thought Lupin would care about Sirius or at least help Harry. Instead, he continued to walk away. Was he just trying to avoid Harry? But this was Sirius' best friend, this was **the last remaining Marauder on the planet**, this was Harry's teacher, he was Harry's last connection to James and Lily Potter.

**Actually, that reference to the Marauders' isn't true... Peter Pettigrew is still alive, right? Even if he's working for Voldemort... At least, I think he's still alive.**

"I'm not hungry, either," Harry mumbled and, as if his feet had taken a mind of their own, they led him up the stairs, and into a bedroom.

He had never seen the room, but he felt as if he had spent half a lifetime in it. His eyes set upon a large black book that sat on a nightstand. He seized it and opened it. It was a photo album.

The first photo was taken at James and Lily's wedding. Harry had never noticed the gleam in Sirius' eye, the gleam he lost long before the shadow of death stole his soul.

The next photo was of the Order of the Phoenix. The next, James and Lily were dancing. The fourth was of a young Sirius, smiling over the crib of a sleeping infant – Harry.  
  
No, no... Sirius was dead. Dead, and there was nothing Harry could do. Harry wasn't going to think about it. He wasn't going to talk about it! He didn't kill Sirius! 

THUMP! Harry threw the book at the wall **rigidly**. **ïƒŸ rigidly strictly. Maybe 'heatedly' or 'irritably'?**

"I DIDN'T KILL HIM!" he roared.

The door swung open and revealed Ron, his ears as red as his hair as he stared stupidly at Harry.

Harry glared. He knew he would let out a scream to the first person he saw, and instead of it being someone who truly deserved it, it was Ron.

"I wouldn't go downstairs," Ron said earnestly. . "Mum's crying. Apparently, Tonks is in St. Mungo's; she broke half the bones in her body. Thankfully she is clumsy and we can just say she fell off her broom, which is half the truth. Are-are you all right?"

"Oh, I don't know, Ron," Harry said coldly. "I've lost my parents and my godfather, I was kidnapped by lunatics, and now I am facing some stupid inquiry so Patterson and that Reckter guy can kill me...are you noticing a pattern here, Ron?"

"Hey mate, calm down!" Ron said, trying very hard to keep calm himself. "It's not like everything bad has happened to you-"

"OH SHUT UP, RON!" Harry **roared** (repeated word), his mouth seemed to be doing more of the talking than Harry's mind. "YOU'VE BEEN SITTING HERE ALL SUMMER! YOU STILL HAVE A FAMILY! YOU STILL HAVE A LIFE-"

"I am not sure if this surprises you, Harry," sneered Ron, "but you're not the only person who cared for Sirius! And I have done stuff!, I RISKED MY REPUTATION FOR YOU!"

"Reputation??" Harry exclaimed. He was on the verge of calming down but what did Ron mean by reputation? "Reputation?" Harry repeated. "Oh I guess your reputation is more important than our friendship, huh?

"I didn't mean it like that, and you know it!"

"Yeah well... you said it! I didn't make you walk into the Department of Mysteries, I didn't make you-"

"You don't need to fight You-Know-Who!" Ron **mumbled** (doesn't make sense... exclamation mark, yet he mumbled?). "I just don't want you to die, all right? You didn't have to get the Philosopher's Stone, you didn't have to kill Voldemort, you didn't have to- "

"What? You think I wanted to? YOU THINK I ENJOY THIS? YOU THINK I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING, AND PRAY THAT I GET TO SAVE THE WORLD ALL OVER AGAIN?"

"WHY IS IT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KILL VOLDEMORT? DUMBLEDORE CAN DO IT! WHY YOU?"

"BECAUSE, RON..." Harry paused, and took a huge breath. "Because I am the only who can! And its not ego, it's the truth...the prophesy was never destroyed...I am the murdered, or the murderer!"

Ron opened his mouth three or four times, but nothing came out. His voice had been scared away.

Harry sighed, and paced quickly past Ron. And his feet paced forward, like they had taken it upon themselves to make sure Harry would not collapse in anger.

Then again, collapsing wouldn't be such a horrible thing, Harry thought...but no...he was better than this, he was stronger than this.

Harry's eyes set upon an Owl that had swept through the window with the "Daily Prophet". The owl dropped the paper on the table and flew out the window swiftly.

Slowly, Harry approached the table and stared down at the paper. It was a picture of Sirius. Harry had no need to read the headline.

But Harry didn't kill Sirius! It was Dumbledore, it was Bellatrix, it was Voldemort, it was Snape, but it was not his fault! But what if he had not trusted Kreacher? What if he had done what Snape had said and cleared his mind? But it was Snape who made Sirius feel like a coward, it was Dumbledore who did nothing, and it was Bellatrix who pushed Sirius into the veil! But a part of Harry knew it was _his fault. _

Harry pressed his face on top of the photo of his godfather and lifted it up. Black ink stuck to his forehead like ash that a Catholic would receive every Ash Wednesday as Penitence.

"Tough guys always stare at their shoes when they get choked up," said a voice from behind Harry.

Harry turned around. Standing before him was Lupin. Harry stared at him, confused.

"My shoes are getting very annoying," Lupin continued. "I've been staring at them for a very long time."

"Are you okay, sir?" Harry frowned.

"I know I have not exactly been the best person I could be to you....I am-you should be in bed, it's a big day tomorrow."

"Not tired," whispered Harry.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really, sir."

"Well if you want to...you know where to find me..."

"Yes, sir."

Lupin walked away slowly, probably hoping Harry would call after him. But when the call never came, he left.

And Harry spent that hour... staring at his shoes.

N/A Well that's chapter 5! I tried my best to suggest more in this chapter rather than just give it away. I like symbolism...Please review!


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